Conventional air conditioning systems consume a great deal of power to maintain low temperatures in most environments. It is not uncommon for an air conditioning system to consume power at a rate of 900 KW per 1000 tons of air conditioning. Most of this power is used in compressing and then expanding a coolant so as to reduce its temperature. The coolant with the reduced temperature is then passed through a heat exchanger which ultimately causes chilled air to be circulated in a target area.
More efficient heat exchangers are also known in the art. Many of these, however, depend on a source of naturally cold coolant. One example of such a coolant in abundance is cold ocean water. Cold ocean water having a temperature anywhere from 2-7.degree. C. is found below the thermocline. To get at this water from shore, prior art Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems have employed one or more pipes having an intakes at a depth of 2000 feet or more which extend along the shore line and ocean floor for a distance of about one mile.
Problems with extending pipes such distances from shore into the ocean are well known. An alternative to laying pipe out into the ocean is the use of sea water wells, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,191 ('191). Such wells can be used as source of cold sea water having a temperature of about 6.degree. C. The '191 patent discloses the use of sea water from such a well for creating thermal energy. The cold sea water enters a heat exchanger at a first, low temperature and exits into an aquaculture preserve at a second, slightly higher temperature.
The temperature of the sea water entering the aquaculture preserve, as taught in the prior art, is still below above air temperature in warmer climates. Therefore, the coolness of this sea water upon exiting the power generation apparatus, may be put to a second use before it is mixed with the water in the preserve. The prior art, however, does not contemplate a second use and so does not exploit the full potential of the cold sea water.